the antiquities of the jews-1-第129章

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son　Abijah　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom；　and　this　in　the
eighteenth　year　of　Jeroboam's　reign　over　the　ten　tribes；　and　this
was　the　conclusion　of　these　affairs。　It　must　be　now　our　business
to　relate　the　affairs　of　Jeroboam；　and　how　he　ended　his　life；　for
he　ceased　not　nor　rested　to　be　injurious　to　God；　but　every　day
raised　up　altars　upon　high　mountains；　and　went　on　making　priests
out　of　the　multitude。

CHAPTER　11。

Concerning　The　Death　Of　A　Son　Of　Jeroboam。　How　Jeroboam　Was
Beaten　By　Abijah　Who　Died　A　Little　Afterward　And　Was　Succeeded　In
His　Kingdom　By　Asa。　And　Also　How；　After　The　Death　Of　Jeroboam
Baasha　Destroyed　His　Son　Nadab　And　All　The　House　Of　Jeroboam。

1。　However；　God　was　in　no　long　time　ready　to　return　Jeroboam's
wicked　actions；　and　the　punishment　they　deserved；　upon　his　own
head；　and　upon　the　heads　of　all　his　house。　And　whereas　a　soil　of
his　lay　sick　at　that　time；　who　was　called　Abijah；　he　enjoined　his
wife　to　lay　aside　her　robes；　and　to　take　the　garments　belonging
to　a　private　person；　and　to　go　to　Ahijah　the　prophet；　for　that　he
was　a　wonderful　man　in　foretelling　futurities；　it　having　been　he
who　told　me　that　I　should　be　king。　He　also　enjoined　her；　when　she
came　to　him；　to　inquire　concerning　the　child；　as　if　she　were　a
stranger；　whether　he　should　escape　this　distemper。　So　she　did　as
her　husband　bade　her；　and　changed　her　habit；　and　came　to　the　city
Shiloh；　for　there　did　Ahijah　live。　And　as　she　was　going　into　his
house；　his　eyes　being　then　dim　with　age；　God　appeared　to　him；　and
informed　him　of　two　things；　that　the　wife　of　Jeroboam　was　come　to
him；　and　what　answer　he　should　make　to　her　inquiry。　Accordingly；
as　the　woman　was　coming　into　the　house　like　a　private　person　and
a　stranger；　he　cried　out；　〃Come　in；　O　thou　wife　of　Jeroboam！　Why
concealest　thou　thyself？　Thou　art　not　concealed　from　God；　who
hath　appeared　to　me；　and　informed　me　that　thou　wast　coming；　and
hath　given　me　in　command　what　I　shall　say　to　thee。〃　So　he　said
that　she　should　go　away　to　her　husband；　and　speak　to　him　thus：
〃Since　I　made　thee　a　great　man　when　thou　wast　little；　or　rather
wast　nothing；　and　rent　the　kingdom　from　the　house　of　David；　and
gave　it　to　thee；　and　thou　hast　been　unmindful　of　these　benefits；
hast　left　off　my　worship；　hast　made　thee　molten　gods　and　honored
them；　I　will　in　like　manner　cast　thee　down　again；　and　will
destroy　all　thy　house；　and　make　them　food　for　the　dogs　and　the
fowls；　for　a　certain　king　is　rising　up；　by　appointment；　over　all
this　people；　who　shall　leave　none　of　the　family　of　Jeroboam
remaining。　The　multitude　also　shall　themselves　partake　of　the
same　punishment；　and　shall　be　cast　out　of　this　good　land；　and
shall　be　scattered　into　the　places　beyond　Euphrates；　because　they
have　followed　the　wicked　practices　of　their　king；　and　have
worshipped　the　gods　that　he　made；　and　forsaken　my　sacrifices。　But
do　thou；　O　woman；　make　haste　back　to　thy　husband；　and　tell　him
this　message；　but　thou　shalt　then　find　thy　son　dead；　for　as　thou
enterest　the　city　he　shall　depart　this　life；　yet　shall　he　be
buried　with　the　lamentation　of　all　the　multitude；　and　honored
with　a　general　mourning；　for　he　was　the　only　person　of　goodness
of　Jeroboam's　family。〃　When　the　prophet　had　foretold　these
events；　the　woman　went　hastily　away　with　a　disordered　mind；　and
greatly　grieved　at　the　death　of　the　forenamed　child。　So　she　was
in　lamentation　as　she　went　along　the　road；　and　mourned　for　the
death　of　her　son；　that　was　just　at　hand。　She　was　indeed　in　a
miserable　condition　at　the　unavoidable　misery　of　his　death；　and
went　apace；　but　in　circumstances　very　unfortunate；　because　of　her
son：　for　the　greater　haste　she　made；　she　would　the　sooner　see　her
son　dead；　yet　was　she　forced　to　make　such　haste　on　account　of　her
husband。　Accordingly；　when　she　was　come　back；　she　found　that　the
child　had　given　up　the　ghost；　as　the　prophet　had　said；　and　she
related　all　the　circumstances　to　the　king。

2。　Yet　did　not　Jeroboam　lay　any　of　these　things　to　heart；　but　he
brought　together　a　very　numerous　army；　and　made　a　warlike
expedition　against　Abijah；　the　son　of　Rehoboam；　who　had　succeeded
his　father　in　the　kingdom　of　the　two　tribes；　for　he　despised　him
because　of　his　age。　But　when　he　heard　of　the　expedition　of
Jeroboam；　he　was　not　affrighted　at　it；　but　proved　of　a　courageous
temper　of　mind；　superior　both　to　his　youth　and　to　the　hopes　of
his　enemy；　so　he　chose　him　an　army　out　of　the　two　tribes；　and　met
Jeroboam　at　a　place　called　Mount　Zemaraim；　and　pitched　his　camp
near　the　other；　and　prepared　everything　necessary　for　the　fight。
His　army　consisted　of　four　hundred　thousand；　but　the　army　of
Jeroboam　was　double　to　it。　Now　as　the　armies　stood　in　array；
ready　for　action　and　dangers；　and　were　just　going　to　fight；
Abijah　stood　upon　an　elevated　place；　and　beckoning　with　his　hand；
he　desired　the　multitude　and　Jeroboam　himself　to　hear　first　with
silence　what　he　had　to　say。　And　when　silence　was　made；　he　began
to　speak；　and　told　them；　…　〃God　had　consented　that　David　and　his
posterity　should　be　their　rulers　for　all　time　to　come；　and　this
you　yourselves　are　not　unacquainted　with；　but　I　cannot　but　wonder
how　you　should　forsake　my　father；　and　join　yourselves　to　his
servant　Jeroboam；　and　are　now　here　with　him　to　fight　against
those　who；　by　God's　own　determination；　are　to　reign；　and　to
deprive　them　of　that　dominion　which　they　have　still　retained；　for
as　to　the　greater　part　of　it；　Jeroboam　is　unjustly　in　possession
of　it。　However；　I　do　not　suppose　he　will　enjoy　it　any　longer；　but
when　he　hath　suffered　that　punishment　which　God　thinks　due　to　him
for　what　is　past；　he　will　leave　off　the　transgressions　he　hath
been　guilty　of；　and　the　injuries　he　hath　offered　to　him；　and
which　he　hath　still　continued　to　offer　and　hath　persuaded　you　to
do　the　same：　yet　when　you　were　not　any　further　unjustly　treated
by　my　father；　than　that　he　did　not　speak　to　you　so　as　to　please
you；　and　this　only　in　compliance　with　the　advice　of　wicked　men；
you　in　anger　forsook　him；　as　you　pretended；　but；　in　reality；　you
withdrew　yourselves　from　God；　and　from　his　laws；　although　it　had
been　right　for　you　to　have　forgiven　a　man　that　was　young　in　age；
and　not　used　to　govern　people；　not　only　some　disagreeable　words；
but　if　his　youth　and　unskilfulness　in　affairs　had　led　him　into
some　unfortunate　actions；　and　that　for　the　sake　of　his　father
Solomon；　and　the　benefits　you　received　from　him；　for　men　ought　to
excuse　the　sins　of　posterity　on　account　of　the　benefactions　of
parent；　but　you　considered　nothing　of　all　this　then；　neither　do
you　consider　it　now；　but　come　with　so　great　an　army　against　us。
And　what　is　it　you　depend　upon　for　victory？　Is　it　upon　these
golden　heifers；　and　the　altars　that　you　have　on　high　places；
which　are　demonstrations　of　your　impiety；　and　not　of　religious
worship？　Or　is　it　the　exceeding　multitude　of　your　army　which
gives　you　such　good　hopes？　Yet　certainly　there　is　no　strength　at
all　in　an　army　of　many　ten　thousands；　when　the　war　is　unjust；　for
we　ought　to　place　our　surest　hopes　of　success　against　our　enemies
in　righteousness　alone；　and　in　piety　towards　God；　which　hope　we
justly　have；　since　we　have　kept　the　laws　from　the　beginning；　and
have　worshipped　our　own　God；　who　was　not　made　by　hands　out　of
corruptible　matter；　nor　was　he　formed　by　a　wicked　king；　in　order
to　deceive　the　multitude；　but　who　is　his　own　workmanship；　（28）
and　the　beginning　and　end　of　all　things。　I　therefore　give　you
counsel　even　now　to　repent；　and　to　take　better　advice；　and　to
leave　off　the　prosecution　of　the　war；　to　call　to　mind　the　laws　of
your　country；　and　to　reflect　what　it　hath　been　that　hath　advanced
you　to　so　happy　a　state　as　you　are　now　in。〃

3。　This　was　the　speech　which　Abijah　made　to　the　multitude。　But
while　he　was　still　speaking　Jeroboam　sent　some　of　his　soldiers
privately　to　encompass　Abijab　round　about；　on　certain　parts　of
the　camp　that　were　not　taken　notice　of；　and　when　he　was　thus
within　the　compass　of　the　enemy；　his　army　was　affrighted；　and
their　courage　failed　them；　but　Abijah　encouraged　them；　and
exhorted　them　to　place　their　hopes　on　God；　for　that　he　was　not
encompassed　by　the　enemy。　So　they　all　at　once　implored　the　Divine
assistance；